Riddim is the
Jamaican Patois pronunciation of the English word "
rhythm," but in
calypso,
soca,
dancehall and
reggaeton parlance it refers to the instrumental accompaniment to a song. These genres consist of the riddim plus the "voicing" (vocal part) sung by the
deejay. The resulting song structure is distinctive in many ways. A given riddim, if popular, may be used in dozens—or even hundreds—of songs, not only in recordings, but also in live performances.